Michael Cohen Thought President Trump Would Pardon Him, But Changed His Mind

PARDON GOES POOF

Updated Dec. 01, 2018 5:02PM ET / Published Dec. 01, 2018 12:28PM ET

Andrew Kelly/REUTERS

Former President Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, now a main witness in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russian investigation, once thought that his former boss would pardon him if he stayed loyal, according to CNN. In March 2018, after returning to New York City from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida, Cohen thought the President would protect him from federal prosecutors if he stayed on message. In the wake of the April 2018 FBI raid on his office, Trump’s cronies promised Cohen he would be OK, one source told CNN. Cohen and Trump’s attorneys even had a “legal defense agreement.” The relationship deteriorated after Trump tried to put space between him and his longtime consigliere. “The President of the United States never indicated anything to Michael, or anyone else, about getting a pardon,” said Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s lawyer, in a statement. “Pardons are off the table, but it's not a limitation on his power in the future to pardon in any case.”